Lucy's Blog

Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category

Lucy’s recently added a School Resources page to our website. It provides links to “best practice” food allergy information and programs for parents, teachers, school nurses, and principals.

Whether you are a parent of a child managing food allergies at school or you are part of a school staff, the links on this page provide the latest resources, guidelines, and suggestions. Our School Resources page includes information about food allergy awareness, emergency preparations, and action plans. We want to connect you with the best experts! These are the resources I use personally and when working with my local food allergy support group. Read more »

Summer is almost here and mosquitoes will soon be swarming around us—and leaving their mark. Here are some facts to help you ward off these little pests and their painful bites! And, protect yourself from the threats that they carry.

Mosquitoes, both male and female, feed upon plant nectars for nourishment and energy. However, only female mosquitoes bite for blood, and this is for purposes of developing and laying viable eggs. The females have a unique mouthpart, which male mosquitoes lack, that pierces skin and siphons off blood, filling itself with 0.001 to 0.01 milliliters of blood per “meal.” While doing so, they inject saliva into the skin, and the proteins in the saliva cause an immune system reaction, resulting in a puffy, white bump to appear on the skin. These bites can become itchy and infected. Read more »

If you read yesterday’s post you’ll know this is a rhetorical question. I have my own answer, which might not match yours. In fact, I hope it doesn’t. I hope you do find gardening easy; and that one day I will, too!

For now, I am pondering gardening again today. I’ve made a list, hoping to simplify tasks and make gardening—easy.

Organizing my material surroundings, both at home and at the office, can really do wonders for my mindset. Eliminating and reducing piles of unnecessary stuff is very freeing! As much as I truly appreciate a sparse and neat environment, I sometimes find that the clutter builds up anyway. I get too busy and rushed to keep things in order; my reading pile grows tall and slumps over! At home my family gets into the same junky groove and it all gets worse. Ugh!

Eventually I just can’t stand it, and/or I find some time to tackle the clutter. Over the years I have become a real fan of decluttering and have learned some great tips. Here are some of my favorite strategies: Read more »

Snow, ice, hurricanes, nor’easters, power outages, tornados, wildfires, mudslides. Mother Nature’s severe doings are constantly being reported on the news. Is this the new norm?

Along with winter’s cold temperatures comes the risk of freezing pipes. Are you—and your home—ready for the next deep freeze? Knowing your house and its location, usually you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Nonetheless, prevention is key! Read more »

Where is home? I believe the condition of our home life is key to how we are doing and feeling in our lives.

Throughout the week, many of us are rushing around from one obligation to another—to the office, school, extracurricular activities. Living full lives in terms of work and activities is important, but it’s also necessary to have a safe haven, a comfortable retreat away from the busy world. Home should be a sanctuary, a place to rest and restore.

There are many road blocks and distractions that can disrupt the peace at home. Whether it’s a military deployment, a divorce or separation, or a business relocation, sometimes our “homes” feel transient or temporary. Sometimes, we really have to work at creating a nice, calm environment at home. This is much more deep-rooted than simply redecorating. Perhaps this involves a combination of decluttering and cleaning, setting healthy relationship boundaries, and filling home life with supportive family and friends. Read more »

Suffice it to say, the gift card business boomed in 2013! Were there a bunch of tiny envelopes under your tree or in your stockings this holiday season?

Post-holiday shoppers are expected to redeem nearly $30 billion in gift cards, according to estimates by the National Retail Federation. Gift cards actually account for nearly one-fourth of all U.S. holiday gift spending.

Year-after-year, gift cards continue to be a top-requested gift, particularly by teenagers, during the holidays. However, despite the demand for gift cards, surprisingly a large number of cards go unspent or partially spent. I recently read that up to 40 percent of gift card recipients don’t use the total value of the card. Read more »

A holiday party with workmates is an important time to transition from the old year to the new. It’s a time to celebrate a sense of completion and accomplishment. The good things and the not so good things about the trailing 12 months can be tidied up.

And, it’s a time to rejuvenate our connections to the people we work with.

What better way to reconnect and get ready for the pending New Year than to laugh a little with your workmates?

Party games are one of my favorite ways to get something going among folks who are usually focused on the “grind stone.”

Here’s a list of party ideas that should work for any group: Read more »

Holiday gift giving is a custom of consideration and joy. And, there’s a certain beauty in small, simple gifts.

Throughout the year we interact with and depend on a core group of people: friends, teachers, child care providers, neighbors, bus drivers, coaches, mail carriers, hairdressers, dog walkers, and so forth.

The holidays are a felicitous time for expressing thanks and gratitude to these people, and the vital role they take in our lives.

Whether you buy or make small gifts, giving is an important way to show that you care.

Here are several thoughts to keep in mind for small gifts: Read more »